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Amsterdam: The Netherlands began what is likely to be a long period of political uncertainty and economic inertia yesterday after the Christian Democrats kept power in an election but failed to win a majority in parliament.
Queen Beatrix, the head of state, began efforts to appoint a mediator to conduct coalition talks. The process of forming a government can take months.
Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende's Christian Democrats won 41 seats in the 150-seat parliament, nearly complete results showed, far short of the 76 needed for a majority even if they renewed their alliance with the VVD liberals.
With the main opposition Labour party also a long way short of a majority even if they join forces with the resurgent far-left Socialists (SP), coalition negotiations will be tough.
"It will be very difficult to form a government. We have a very polarised country now," said Jean Tille, assistant politics professor at Amsterdam University.
Balkenende, 50, could be forced into an uneasy right-left coalition but the Christian Democrats and Labour differ on many important issues. That could mean debilitating battles in government over tax, pensions and immigration policy.
The re-election of Balkenende, who has promised voters calm and security to follow a period of painful welfare reforms, and the strong gains for the Socialists could mean many economic reforms are put on hold, economists said.
"All the parties in the Netherlands that want change lost, and those parties that don't want change gained," said Bas Jacobs, lecturer for macroeconomics and public finance at the universities of Tilburg and Amsterdam.
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